Editor's Note: Nudity

I get a feed of news images from Getty Images for journalism use which are then filtered for bicycling content.

A set of a couple dozen photos entitled "World Naked Bike Ride Takes Place In Sydney" contained the note for those who missed seeing the pale dangly bits flapping in the breeze: "Editor's Note: Nudity." The World Naked Bike Ride took place over the weekend.

I rode completely clothed this last weekend in Santa Cruz and was hit by a guy driving a Red BMW after he honked at me. I think he tried to swerve closely past me to frighten or intimidate me, which was an odd thing to do on a quiet residential street with no traffic. He apparently misjudged and swiped me. He looked at me; I exclaimed with bemused surprise, "You hit me!" and then he ran. I called the police, gave a full description of the driver and car (Red '04 to '06 BMW 1 Series Coupe, license 4ASRxxx, mid 30s Caucasian male, gelled black hair) as I followed the car around Santa Cruz Harbor up Seabright, across the Harbor Bridge on Murray, along the east side of the Harbor before I lost him on East Cliff Drive, where I waited for police to arrive.

Santa Cruz Police took less than five minutes to show up, which surprised me, and Officer Butler was very professional taking my report and expressed some anger about what she took as an obviously road raging driver.

The hit was actually very minor -- he nudged my bike but that's it. I probably would have ignored it if the driver didn't run.

Sorry to hear about the hit, even if it was minor. I probably fall into the same camp of not reporting a minor bump if the driver didn't run/berate me, in this case though I'd have called even if he stopped because of the swerve/scare move.

"You just hit me" is the classic thing to say in that type of shocking event.

About a year ago I was absentmindedly rolling around downtown Sacramento when I rolled up onto the side walk, slowed down and tried to avoid some pedestrians... And found one of them heading to incercept me. He got close enough and actually suck an arm out, limply clotheslining me. I stopped my bike, turned around and said "Why did you do that!?"

He uttered a series of uninteligibles that led me to believe he was wasted out of his mind while his embarassed friends told him it was time to go. It's impossible to even comprehend why people do things like that.

I'm just happy he didn't even have the motor control to hurt me because I had a u-lock just a quick release away and might've done something stupid if I wasn't so shocked.

Again, glad you're ok. Do you true your own wheels or can you get some mileage out of the story down at the bike shop?

Kit, in spite of all assurances to the contrary that wheel truing is easy as pie, I've never successfully trued a rear wheel -- the result is always spoke breakage on subsequent rides. There's a reason I'm a software engineer who's not allowed to touch a soldering iron in the hardware lab.

...jeez, fritz...certainly glad that it was nothing more than a "nudge" but just as glad that you got enough of a plate number & a good description...

...guy who's nature it is to pull a stunt like that deserves to get a serious talking to by the law......despite your cavalier attitude, in light of your description of the traffic situation, that is nothing less than "assault w/ a deadly weapon"...

Fritz, gotta tell ya, that posting you did last week titled, "Where Am I Gonna Get Hit" jinx'd you (if there were such an oddity). I swear, you gave me the hibby-jibbyz posting that blasted post topic.

Vehicular assault, leaving the scene of an accident, reckless/careless driving, failure to yield right of way...He wasn't trying to intimidate you (which is assault in itself by the way), he was trying to "teach you a lesson." And the lesson is always call the police. What if he hurt someone else later because you didn't report him? Glad you (and your bike) are okay. I enjoy your blog. The best revenge is riding well.

Glad the blog is still here. Wonder what the driver's pedigree is, since that'll probably determine charges. Doctor? Lawyer? Indian Chief?

Okay, I *am* going to figure out that handlebar paintbrush extension. Forget your "bike for the rest of them" design contest ... how 'bout a contest for a creative, nonviolent way of marking a car that comes too close? Or taking a picture, or recording... Coudl be a squirt away...